Broken Arrow Golf Club (Lockport, IL)

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From the Broken Arrow Golf Club website:
Located in Lockport, IL, just 40 miles southwest of Chicago’s Loop, Broken Arrow features 27 holes of Championship golf, a full service driving range, Golf-Shop, and snack bar!

I played at Broken Arrow Golf Club a few weekends ago in a golf outing (actually the Windy City Golf League Argyle Cup) and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. With three nines, a large clubhouse, conveniently placed driving range, and putting green: Broken Arrow is worth the $67 full rate on Weekend mornings. With three nines (I only got to play two) you are much more likely to have a speeder round because the players are split between those three nines. Make sure you check out the Broken Arrow website, as they promote their own golf discounts, and email programs that offer some great golfing deals.

I personally played the East nine to the South nine. I found both nines to be difficult but fair, the greens were in great shape, and the course was fun albeit a pretty tough driving course. The East nine especially was tough to find the fairway off the tee. With either water, bunkers, or long grass awaiting you off the fairway there was a severe penalty for missing fairways at Broken Arrow’s East course. I was lucky enough to avoid most of the hazards and once in the fairway the course is a dream. The South nine had a few more holes that were a more forgiving off the tee. There are a few holes that run parallel in opposite directions which means that there are more areas to bail out to when on the tee, which definitely makes the South course a little easier to play. The South course also had a few shorter par 4′s which always make for a fun day. With the 3rd hole on the South side coming out to 290 or so, over water, with OB right, and really just an island green gives golfers the perfect chance to go for the green with their drive and give themselves a putt at eagle. Be careful though of the cemetery off of the green right, spooky and difficult to play out of.

The greens on both the East and the South course were in great shape. They are fast, smooth, and have a good amount of undulation. I found that the greens at Broken Arrow appeared to break a lot more than they actually did. That meant a lot of birdie putts missing on the high side for me. But all in all the greens were soft, and receptive to good shots, and fun to play.

If you noticed I stated earlier there are three nines at Broken Arrow (North, South and East). I did not get to play the 3rd nine the North course, and the North course is the “odd ball”. The North course has two greens, or two flags on every hole. Meaning you tee off and as a player you have to choose which color flag to play to. There is a red flag that is an easy set up to the course, and then a blue flag which is a more difficult lay out. I didn’t get to test myself on these “double greens”, but I do have to say that I find it a little gimmicky and uninspiring. What happens if you get a hole in one on a green with two holes cut? You play your best nine of the year, and there is always that doubt of well I had two holes to go at. Even if you stuck to one color or the other, there would always be that doubt in your mind put there by the two hole system. Again, I did not play the North 9, but would personally stay away from this side, as I would always feel like there would be an * next to any score attached to that nine. Kind of like a Barry Bonds home run record. It might be in the record books, but it will always be tainted.

I give Broken Arrow Golf Club a solid PAR. I loved the two nines I got to play (East and South), but to the average player the course can be very difficult. With lots of hazards and tight driving holes, the difficulty of the course takes away from the average weekend golf warrior. The practice facility was also a little bland, not much more than a square spot and a few flags to aim at while hitting a few balls prior to your round. Broken Arrow is not the place to go if you are looking for a place to practice and not play. Plus I cannot in good conscience give a Birdie to a course that has a nine that sounds like the bastard child between golf and mini golf. I would recommend trying out Broken Arrow though, the greens were great, and the course was fun even though it is difficult.